WICHITA – Emporia State reached ten runs in both games of a double header sweep at Newman on Tuesday. The Hornets have now won six straight games and 10 of their last 13.
GAME ONE
Emporia State scored their most runs in a game since putting up 20 runs against Cameron on February 24, 2013 in a 19-2 win over Newman. Neither team scored in the first inning but Cassidy Beem got the Hornets on the board with a two run homer in the top of the second.
The flood gates opened in the third as Emporia State scored eight runs on five hits, two walks and three Jet errors. Hannah Steeby and Gabby Biondo both homered in the inning while Maddy Broxterman, Beem, and Brittanie Shepherd each hit a double during the frame. The Hornets came back with nine runs on seven hits with three more Newman errors in the top of the third. Brylie Bassett, Maddy Lavelle, Jenna Spence, and Valerie Kinney all had singles in the inning while Mackenzie Thornton had a pinch hit, two run double. Steeby capped the inning with a three run homer to give Emporia State a 19-0 lead.
Montana Mesler took a perfect game two outs into the fourth inning before giving up a single to Paige Wallace with two strikes. The Jets would go on to score two runs in the inning on RBI singles from Lacey Colvin and Emma Eck before ending the inning with a fly ball out. The Hornets went down in order in the top of the fifth and Kelsey Phillips pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth to secure the run rule win.
Steeby was four for four with two home runs, four runs scored and six RBI while Beem went two for four with a homer, three RBI and two runs. Biondo finished one for three with a three RBI home run.
GAME TWO
The Hornets would fall behind in the first inning of the night cap when the Jets scored two runs off freshman Brylie Bassett in her first career start. Emporia State took the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth as Rachel Kauss reached thanks to catcher’s interference. Cassidy Beem worked a two out walk before Destiny Ojigoh delivered an RBI single that plated pinch runner Mackenzie Thornton. Kailee Odegard gave the Hornets the lead with a two run double to right center.
The Jets tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a single from Lacey Colvin and then a two out double from Lauryn Ogden. Newman regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Lauren Kuhrt walked, stole second and went to third on a ground out. Paige Wallace singled in Kuhrt to give the Jets a 4-3 lead and chase Bassett. Sydney Righi came in and got a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
Bailey Bugner came on to pitch the seventh in relief of Dominique Payne for the Jets. Odegard met her with a single up the middle but was erased on a fielder’s choice by Shepherd. Biondo followed with an infield single and pinch hitter Valerie Kinney worked a walk to load the bases and force a pitching change. Payne returned to the circle and promptly hit Kauss to force in the tying run. Steeby then laced a single to right center that scored two to give the Hornets a 6-4 lead. Kelsey Phillips followed with another two run single to make it 8-4 and Beem delivered the knock out blow with a two run homer to make it 10-4 and forced the Jets to bring Bugner back to the circle. She gave up a single to Destiny Ojigoh before getting the final two outs.
Righi then worked a perfect seventh, getting a strikeout and two groundouts as Emporia State secured their third win in their last at bat in the last three days.
Cassidy Beem went two for three with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI to lead four Hornets with two RBI in the second game while Gabby Biondo went four for four with a run scored. Righi allowed one hit in 2.1 innings of relief to pick up her third straight win.
The Hornets stay on the road this weekend as they return to MIAA play at Southwest Baptist on Friday, April 5. First pitch in Bolivar, Mo. is set for 2:00 p.m.
NOTES
Hannah Steeby’s six RBI in game one are the most by a Hornet in a game since Stephanie Goodwin had six RBI in the Hornets 13-4 win against Concordia-St. Paul on March 21, 2015 in St. Joseph, Mo.